It's A New Year
by rnovak
Summary: Elliot gets ready to make some changes in his life as the 1-6 rings in the new year. E/O *please read and review! (Sequel now up!)
1. Chapter 1

*Disclaimer: The follow material is used for entertainment purposes only; _rnovak_ does not own any of the recognized characters or other associations. All rights are reserved to the original creator and network.

Every year, a grand dinner-dance was thrown in honour of the NYPD to ring in the New Year and present prestigious awards from the previous. The annual party was just around the corner; and the detectives at the 1-6 were dreading it. In just a mere week, they would all have to sit through endless speeches, pretend to enjoy the food and socialize with people that they couldn't stand. Not to mention this year all the detectives were single and evidently, dateless. Detective Elliot Stabler had previously attended all of these functions with his wife at his side, but since they were now in the midst of a divorce, he found himself in the same boat as his colleagues and friends. Sure he could have asked a couple of different people to go with him, but the truth was that there really wasn't anyone whose company he would thoroughly enjoy; and if this party were to be anything like the previous years, he would definitely need someone he would want to spend the evening with. Elliot looked up from the pile of paperwork he was filling out and his eyes found his partner Olivia Benson. He had never really noticed it before, but God, she was beautiful. Sitting across from him delving into her own pile of paperwork, Olivia sat concentrating on her DD5's so Elliot allowed himself to stare at her just a moment longer. The light was hitting her in a way that made her porcelain skin glow more so than usual. Her sort brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, with the exception of a few fallen out strands. Everything about her was beautiful, inside and out. Her eyes always managed to twinkle, even though she wasn't saying anything, and God, those lips. Those lips looked like the softest things Elliot had ever seen, and lately all he had wanted to do was to discover what it would be like to kiss those lips. The sweet sound of Olivia's voice brought him back to reality "El, if everything okay? You're staring at me" she said suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Yeah Liv, sorry I guess I was kind of daydreaming a little bit there" Elliot replied hoping he wasn't looking as flushed as he felt. Dropping his head back down to his paperwork Elliot had an idea. "Hey Liv..?"

"Mhm?"

"I was thinking since we both have to go to this thing next week, why don't we um… well, why don't we just go erm… together?" he stammered out.

Putting her pen down, she smirked as she met his eyes, "Why El? Am I your last resort?" she asked playfully winking at him.

"No Liv, you're never the last resort" he answered, winking back at her.

Caught off guard by the sincerity and sweetness in Elliot's voice, Olivia felt her cheeks give her away as she nodded and said "Of course El, it'll be fun". And with that she got up from her desk and bid him a good night before walking out to hail a cab. '_Did he just ask me out?_' she asked herself '_No that couldn't be, we're just partners. It makes sense to go together right?'_. Well if that was the case, Olivia silently wondered why her heart was still fluttering making her feel like a teenager being asked to the prom she never went to.

Back at the precinct Elliot was feeling rather happy and relieved that he and Olivia would be going to the party together. Who better to spend the evening with that his partner, best friend and- '_Wait was there more to it than that? _He wondered. Obviously they were closer than most partners. But at the same time, most partners hadn't been together for more than two years; him and Olivia were getting ready to push eleven. Aside from his children, Olivia was the most important person in his life. After years of his soon-to-be ex-wife accusing him of cheating on her with Olivia, Elliot had just gotten to used to denying any sort of romantic feelings for his partner that he had never bothered to wonder who he was trying to convince… Kathy? Or himself? Was it possible that he had gotten so accustomed to saying what Kathy wanted to hear, that he had never even stopped to think about his own feelings? Shaking away any thoughts of Kathy, he decided that he was going to make this night special for Olivia. He was going to need some help. Making his way to his car he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number; it was time for some reinforcements. He was only just starting to realize the degree of his feelings for Olivia Benson.


	2. Chapter 2

By the end of the week Elliot had called: the florist to arrange a bouquet of Olivia's favorite flowers, a car service to ensure that him and Olivia would arrive in style and lastly his eldest daughter Maureen, practically begging her to come home to help him pick out a new tux. Yes, it had been a very busy albeit successful week for Elliot Stabler; he had managed to get a confession out of two of Manhattan's most wanted perps, he had finalized all of the details for the big event in a couple days and most importantly Olivia and him had been more in synch than they had in a while; shamelessly flirting and spending more time together outside of work than usual. His spirits were soaring and it was all because of his beautiful partner. Ever since the day he had suggested that they go the party together, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her and now that he was about to be officially divorced, he didn't have to feel guilty about it. This week had acted as an eye-opener for him, finally seeing all the things he had forced himself to ignore before. He watched her intently whenever she laughed, he adored the way her head would fly back, exposing her long, tender neck. Feeling his pants getting slightly tighter, he wondered what it would be like to kiss that neck of hers. Of course, it wasn't only the way she looked that made his heart race- that was just a bonus. Out of all of Olivia's wonderful qualities to choose from, he would definitely have to say that one of his favorites was how selfless she was. She would put herself in harms way before she would allow anything bad to happen to anyone that she cared about. She was also very thoughtful; just the other day she had gone out in the pouring rain to run down to their favourite coffee cart after seeing how tired he was from yelling all night with Kathy. Hi partner was one of kind and if he hadn't known it before he definitely knew it now… he was in love with one Olivia Benson, and on the annual New Year's bash he planned to finally tell her. He was secretly hoping that she would allow him to be her New Year's kiss.

Across from Elliot, Olivia was siting at her desk trying to concentrate on the files in front of her, but finding it rather difficult to focus on anything except for the man sitting across from her. There had been something different about the dynamic of their relationship lately; she didn't quite know what it was, but she liked it… a lot. During the case they just closed Olivia, on more than one occasion would catch Elliot glancing at her in ways that he had never looked at her before and when their eyes would meet, it made her feel like they were the only two people in the room. She thought about the way he had protectively placed his hand on the small of her back whenever the scumbags they interrogated would get too close for her liking. She had always loved how he managed to know exactly what she was thinking before she even said it. She had loved a lot of things about him. Olivia began to feel a little bit flush thinking about all the times they had gone to the gym together and she couldn't help herself from ogling as the sweat glistened off of his muscular chest and chiseled face. She knew she had always been attracted to her partner; who in their right mind wouldn't be? He was charming and strong and handsome and everything else that was good in the world, but she had always forced those feelings away knowing very well he was a married man. Although it had recently occurred to her that now that Elliot's divorce was almost finalized, maybe that was the little push she needed to come clean about her feelings for him. And after the part week that they had shared together, it not only solidified her ever-growing love for him but had also made her realize that maybe there was a small, tiny chance that he could feel the same way about her. _'I mean he did ask me to go to the function with him, and he was been staring at my ass a lot more than usual'_ she said laughing a bit at that last part, _'Could it be at all possible that he might have feelings for me?_' she asked to herself with a tremor of hope. Regardless of what that answer was, it didn't change the fact that she was still hopelessly in love with her partner and it had been eating her up for so long that she decided it was time to do something about it; she was going to tell Elliot the truth. She supposed that she could wait to tell him, until New Year's Eve that way if his response wasn't what she was hoping for she could blame it on the alcohol, but _'No'_ she thought shaking her head. She couldn't wait that long, she had waited nearly elven years to confess her love for Elliot and goddammit she was not going to wait a minute more. Gathering every once of courage and confidence that she could muster, she got out of her chair, slowly walking towards her partner's desk.

Sitting down on the edge of Elliot's desk got his attention as his head perked up meeting her warm brown eyes with his own piercing blue ones. '_God her eyes are stunning I could stare at them forever' _he thought to himself. As he allowed his eyes to roam her face, he quickly realized something was on her mind. "Liv.. is something wrong?" he asked with growing concern. Placing her hand over his, Elliot had to try really hard to not give into his impulses and pull into a deep, heated kiss right there, right then.

Staring into his sparkling eyes, Olivia finally answered, "There's nothing wrong El, in fact everything is great" she paused for a second before continuing; this was the last chance to change her mind before she said something that would open a can of worms. Taking a deep breath and deciding to continue, she hesitantly looked around the room first, worried that someone would hear her. Relieved that it was just the two of them she gave a quiet sigh and returned to the man who was growing more and more worried by the second. "But El, this is something that I want to talk to you about. Actually it's been something I've had to say for a really, really long time" she continued, tightening the grip on his hand hoping to hide the fact that she was shaking slightly. Elliot, aware of this began to trace small circles on her hand with his thumb, knowing that it would calm her down a little bit. Grateful for his actions, Olivia tried not to let her tears betray her before she even got to say anything. "I want you to know that what I'm about to say is really hard for me because I've never said it to anybody before and it's taken me a long time to gather the courage to say it to you and regardless of what happens, I want you to know that you're the only person I ever want to say this to. El, you've had to notice that something's changed in our relationship- in a good way- in the past week. I don't even know how to describe it, except for that it just feels so right. I-um- have struggled with some of my feelings for you since the day that I met you, we've had such an amazing partnership and the last thing I want to do is to jeopardize it but what I'm about to say has been eating me up inside for the past ten years and I think it's time that I finally just be honest and I hope that you don't hate me" taking a deep breath as now there were warm droplets of water falling freely from her eyes, she went on, "Elliot…. I-" Before she got a chance to finish her sentence, both the detectives were startled by a loud noise.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hold on Liv. Don't move, I'll be right back and then we can finish, okay?" Elliot stated after kissing her hand lightly and as a single tear rolled down his cheek he fought it, knowing exactly what she was going to say and wanting nothing more than to hear her say it.

Olivia only managed to smile sadly and nod in understanding, trying to hold back tears herself, immediately missing the warmth of Elliot's strong hands against hers. As Elliot got up and walked over to open the doors, the source of he noise was soon discovered as the voice of a very drunk Kathy Stabler, stumbling into the precinct. "ELLIOT! There you are?" she slurred, hitting him in the shoulder "I've been thinking! Yes! I-I've b-been thinkING" she continued, stumbling about the office, now no doubt in either Olivia nor Elliot's mind that his soon-to-be-ex-wife was completely plastered. "I don't want a divorce anymore! I STILL LOVE YOU AND I KNOW YOU STILL LOVE ME" she practically screamed. "So YOU" she went on, drunkenly pointing her finger and turning to face Olivia "You stay away from my husband you stupid whore"

"Ex-husband" Olivia stated plainly, staring Kathy right in the face, refusing to give Kathy any satisfaction in her petty attempts to rile her up.

"You BITCH!" Kathy screamed as she reached out and slapped Olivia hard across the face. Elliot practically flew across the office to come to Olivia's side, helping her find her regain her balance. He looked at Olivia silently asking her permission to arrest Kathy for assaulting a police officer, or drunken misconduct or just about anything else Elliot thought he could make stick. Olivia just shook her head with a look that said 'it isn't worth it' 'SHE isn't worth it'.

Still holding onto Olivia, Elliot directed his attention to his ex-wife "Kathy how dare you?! If Olivia wasn't such a good person and an even better friend I could arrest you right now for a number of things"

"You wouldn't arrest your own wife Elliot" Kathy said almost taunting him.

"EX-WIFE!" Elliot and Olivia said together. "And you try me Kathy if you lay another hand on my partner you'll see what happens" Elliot continued.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, you home wrecking slut. I bet you just can't wait for the divorce to be finalized so you can jump into bed with him. Oh that's right, I forgot- I bet you already have. And before you open your mouth to try and deny your affair with MY husband Olivia, let me just tell you _sweetheart_, you will never be good enough for him. No matter what Elliot and I go through we ALWAYS end up back together. So if you want to be his little rebound sex-toy, that's perfectly fine by me because he'll get tired of you in no time and coming running back to me in no time. We just got out of a twenty-year relationship, so if you really think he's looking for anything more than just sex from you you're even more delusional than I thought you were. If you some have fantasy in your head about living happily ever after with Elliot you might as well forget it, he could never love you… you're just damaged goods." Kathy finished off with a smirk, nearly falling over from her own drunken state.

"KATHY GET THE HELL OUT I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN" Elliot yelled. By this time uniformed officers had come running after hearing all the commotion. "Officers get her out of here, she is never to set foot in the building again. You hear me?!" Elliot said as the officers went to remove a screaming Kathy Stabler from the premises. Turning his attention back to Olivia, he saw that she already had her coat on and was heading for the elevators, stifling back a pool of tears. Desperate to stop her from leaving, Elliot spirited after her "Liv, please don't go. You know none of what that lunatic said is true! Olivia I-"

"_That lunatic_, Elliot is your WIFE, you should go home to your family" Olivia said, her voice filled with hurt as the elevators doors closed leaving a stunned Elliot at a loss of words. In a fit of rage he picked up a chair and tossed it across the room. He had never been so angry at Kathy _'how dare she speak to Olivia like that'_. He had never been so scared _'could I have just lost the best thing that ever happened to me?'_. He had also never been so determined _'I WILL make this right… somehow'_ he thought. Sinking to the floor, Elliot put his head in his hands and allowed a few tears to fall, knowing her had also never been so sure that he was in love with Olivia.

The next day, Elliot came charging into work desperate to talk to Olivia and convince her that Kathy was simply insane and that she had no idea what she was talking about. When he couldn't find her, he stormed into Captain Cragen's office demanding to know where his partner was. All that Cragen would tell him was that she was taking some personal time and would not be in for a few days. "And if I were you Elliot, I would giver her space" he added.

"Well it's a good thing you're not me. Sir." Elliot answered squarely.

It had been two and half days now since he had seen Liv. He had called her several times, left countless pleading messages and had banged on her door so many times, her neighbours thought he was out of his mind. Yesterday he had even gone so far as to use the spare key Olivia had given him to let himself in. Unfortunately, the chain from the inside prevented him from going any further. After yelling out his name, all he was met with was a quiet "go away El, go home to your wife". Dejected, although relieved to know that she at least alive he was hurt that Olivia could even think that he would go back to Kathy especially after the things she had said her, Elliot simply closed the door and whispered 'I love you' before turning and walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the day of the annual NYPD New Year's party and Elliot was determined to go with Olivia, just as they had planned, well, before hurricane Kathy had ruined what could have been the greatest moment in both of their lives. The detectives of the NYPD were all expected to show up at the function to mingle with other units and accept any awards they may be given from the commissioner, and he hoped that no matter hurt or angry Olivia was at him that she wouldn't risk her job over it. The lack of Olivia's presence in his life the past few days had really been getting to him, he had gotten a little too violent with a perp in the interrogation room and had evidently been taken off the case. As if that wasn't enough, Fin and Munch as well as half of the unit had been on his back about Olivia's whereabouts and having to talk about it only made him miss her even more. By the end of the day Elliot had decided that he couldn't take the chance of Olivia not showing up tonight and as he pulled out of the parking lot, he was already heading in the direction of Olivia's apartment and he wasn't planning on leaving without Olivia by his side. Luckily his tux and shoes were already hanging in the back of his SVU and with any luck he would be able to change at Olivia's before taking her to the hotel where the function was being held this year. Taking a deep breath, Elliot parked in his usual spot across the street and made his way for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Finally reaching Olivia's floor he began pounding on her door. "Liv, it's me" he started "Please talk to me Olivia" still nothing. After a couple minutes of knocking endlessly on the door he decided to take things to the next level. He pulled out his key to Olivia's apartment and swiftly opened the door. Although once again met with the interior chain, this time he would not back away. "Liv, I know you're in there, I know you can hear me and I'm not leaving until you let me in. So if that means I have to stand out here all night like calling your name like a freaking lovesick puppy-"

Before he got to finish he heard the quick scampering of Olivia's light feet as she ran to the door. Closing the door in Elliot's face he breathed a sigh of relief as he heard her removing the chain lock before she opened to the door to face him for the first time in days. Even wearing her sleep shorts and a blue t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, Elliot thought she was the most beautiful woman he had even seen. As he searched Olivia's face for anger or frustration he became puzzled when was met by wide eyes and a rather stunned expression. "What did you just say?" she asked sounding breathless as she spoke.

Slightly confused Elliot had wondered if he said something wrong. Slowly he answered "I said that I was going to stay out here all night if I had to".

"No Elliot, after that… what did you call yourself?" she asked as her eyebrows burrowed together as if she was searching for her answer herself.

Clueing in to what she was talking about, Elliot relaxed and pushed the door all the way open, allowing himself in, walking towards the couch and as Olivia took a step backwards unprotested to his actions she followed behind him and sat down beside him. Elliot reached to take Olivia's hands in his own and looked her right in the eye "Lovesick Liv. I'm lovesick because I am utterly, madly and passionately in love with you and I have been for some time now. Olivia what Kathy said… you have to know it was all completely insane. Our marriage is over. It has been for years- you know that. You did not break up my marriage, I did; because I didn't love her the way a husband should love their wife. There will always be a place in my heart for her because she is the mother of my kids and for that I will always love for. But you have to believe me when I say we are never ever getting back together. Like ever." He said as she smiled slightly at his reference to that Taylor Swift song on the radio. Taking this opportunity to move his hands to cup her face he continued "Olivia, you are anything but a rebound. You are a smart, confident, funny and goddamn gorgeous woman and you are certainly not damaged. Liv, you're the strongest person I know. My daughters admire you- I admire you. I called myself a lovesick puppy because my love for you is literally so overwhelming that it could be a sickness, and you could very well be my drug. I go to sleep thinking about you and wake up thinking about you and for al the hours in-between all I do, is think about you. Olivia, I love you. I love you so much and I know you love me too" Elliot finished, meeting Olivia's misty-eyed iris' with his own damp ones.

Unable to think of anything to say that could convey what she was feeling in this very moment, Olivia just looked at Elliot for a moment, trying to take in everything he had just said. It was everything she had wanted to hear and more. Feeling her heart racing, Olivia leaned in slowly before placing her lips gently on his. The kiss was unlike anything she could have ever imagined it would be. She could tell that he hadn't expected it when his body stiffened for split second, before pulling her into his arms kissing her back with everything he had in him. The warmth of Elliot's hands on her back was enough to drive her crazy; she licked the edge of his lips as he gladly granted her entrance, colliding his tongue with her as she titled her head back to deepen the kiss. Finally Olivia pulled back, both of them gasping for air. Kissing him softly one more time, Olivia pulled herself up from the couch and started walking towards her bathroom.

Already missing the warmth of her body against his "Where do you think you're going?" Elliot called out with a smile.

Whipping her head around Olivia turned around to face him "To start getting ready silly" she said as-a-matter-of-factly "I have a really hot date for New Year's and I think he might appreciate it if I took a shower first".

"I think he might appreciate it more if he could take a shower with you" he joked, sporting a puppy dogface.

"There will be plenty of time for that later" she said as she winking before she turned around continuing to the bathroom, her hips swaying vigorously as she walked.

As Elliot heard the shower starting he found it hard to resist the urge of joining his beautiful under the hot, steamy water. Unable to get the picture of her swaying hips out of his head, he felt his pants grow a little bit tighter. 'This woman is going to be the death of me' he thought to himself with a smile before leaving to get his own attire from his car.


	5. Chapter 5

Shortly Elliot had returned from the car, carrying his tux and shoes in one hand and a bouquet of flowers for Olivia in the other and as he let himself to the apartment he heard the faint sounds of the shower being turned off. Setting down his things on the on the coffee table, he was just about to sit down on the couch when the bathroom door creaked open reveling a Olivia standing there, dripping with water, covered in nothing but a small towel tightly wrapped around her body. Elliot could feel his jaw drop a few feet and his pants grow tighter once again at the sight of the woman he loved soaking wet and all but naked in front of him. His eyes roamed over her body and he let out a soft moan under his breath.

"See something you like Detective Stabler?" Olivia said coyly, playing with the top of the towel that was hugging her body.

Olivia's seductive voice only made it harder to pull himself out of this daze. "I-erm, ahem" Elliot muttered, clearing his throat, obviously struggling to form a sentence.

Satisfied with the effect she'd had on him, Olivia walked towards her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Glancing at the clock, she sighed as she realized she only had a short amount of time to get all dolled up. Getting right to work, she shed her towel and starting rummaging through her closet looking for something to wear. She had never really had a problem picking out clothes to wear on out on the odd date that she had; but this wasn't just any date. It was her first date, _with Elliot Stabler _and she was determined to look her best for him, hoping to make him squirm like he was mere moments ago.

In the other room, Elliot had already gotten himself dressed and was now sitting on Olivia's couch flipping through the TV, watching all the excitement as people began to gather in Time's Square. New Year's Eve was such a big deal for some people, everybody vowing to make resolutions that most would forget about a week from now, people using it as an excuse to make rash decisions that often would be soon regretted, everyone getting so excited waiting for the ball to drop at midnight in hopes of getting that special New Year's kiss. Elliot had never really understood what all the fuss was about… until now. Thinking back to the kiss that he and Olivia had shared this afternoon, he knew that he was irrevocably in love with her and after that kiss he could tell that she felt the same way. She was the one- the only one she wanted to be with… forever. This New Year's Eve, he decided that was going to be one of _those people. _Except he had no intentions of forgetting the promises we would make when the clock struck midnight, and for the rest of his life he knew that he would never regret what his actions. Sticking true to his original goal for the evening, he was going to make this night incredibly special for Olivia. Hearing the blow dryer going in her bedroom, he knew that he still had a fair bit of time before she would be ready to go. Grabbing his keys, Elliot quietly made his way for the door, praying that Olivia wouldn't hear him leave. As he walked down the stairs, we found himself smiling, feeling very giddy over his plans for the evening as he picked up his phone deciding to give his eldest daughter, Maureen a call.

Forty-five minutes later, Elliot was back on Olivia's couch as if he had never moved. Looking down at his watch, Elliot called out "Liv? Babe, we should get going before Cragen sends out a search party. You could show up to the damn thing in sweatpants and still be the most beautiful woman in the room". He was about to open his mouth to precede to add that she would be the most beautiful woman in any room; however he suddenly forgot what he was about to say as Olivia emerged from the bedroom.

"Well if you would like, I could go change into sweatpants.." Olivia began before Elliot interjected.

"Don't you dare!" he said, moving towards her taking in her beauty as he got closer and closer. She looked absolutely stunning in that long, strappy black dress that hugged all of her curves perfectly, standing about three inches taller courtesy of her shiny silver stilettos. Following his gaze upwards from her shoes, he inwardly moaned when he noticed that there was a slit up the dress that reached her thigh, revealing her long, toned legs; and as she did a 360, Elliot felt himself heat up at the sight of her bareback. Pulling her into his arms, it was Elliot's turn to place his lips on hers desperate to stay in the moment forever. Reluctantly pulling back, "You look so beautiful Liv" he said never relinquishing his hold on her.

"You don't look so bad yourself Stabler. But if we don't leave now we're going to be the only ones who get to see each other like this" Olivia said with a smile as she grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the door.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Elliot mumbled as he reached for the flowers to give to Olivia before they left.

"El! What are these? You didn't have to do that" Olivia said as she kissed his cheek.

"Yes I did, but you can thank me later" Elliot replied smugly, as he put the flowers in some water before returning to Olivia's side. As they walked out of her apartment, towards the already waiting car, Elliot placed his hand protectively on her bareback, wanting everyone to know that Olivia Benson was his. Helping Olivia into the car before getting into it himself, Elliot gave the driver the address as he pulled Olivia right up against his side. She placed her head on his shoulder and reached for his warm hand. With his free arm that was still draped around Olivia's waist he happily traced circles on her thigh, wondering what he had done to be so lucky. The two of them sat comfortably like that for the remained of the drive and as the driver glanced in his rearview mirror, he thought that he had never seen anybody so in love.


	6. Chapter 6

As the car pulled up to the hotel lobby, Elliot climbed out of the car, offering Olivia his hand, before turning to give the driver a very generous tip. The two detectives entered the hotel ballroom hand-in-hand, and headed toward table labeled 1-6. As they made their way across the room Elliot himself could feel every pair of eyes staring at his stunning partner. Every man in the room, dateless or not nearly broken their necks, whipping their heads around, eyeing Liv hungrily as she passed them by. Elliot let go of Olivia's hand to instead pull her close to his as he put his hand possessively on the small of her back. He wanted everyone to know that she was his and no one else's. Finding their table, they took their seats and under the table Olivia discreetly lay her hand on Elliot's thigh hoping to assure him that there was no one else she would rather be with. She had felt all the eyes on her and though it was a nice confidence booster, she was relieved when Elliot repositioned his affectionate hand; it had began to make her uncomfortable.. all those men staring at her ass. She was glad that Elliot made her feel so safe and wanted. Sighing and lightly squeezing Elliot's thigh, Olivia smiled to herself feeling like they luckiest girl in the room. They were soon greeted by the rest of their squad who were by now seated with drinks in hand and several empty glasses already scattered on around the table. "Starting a little early are we guys?" Elliot joked, raising an eyebrow in question. He was answered with dirty looks from Fin and Munch while Alex opted for a sarcastic comment; "Well if we are going to survive this evening, we are going to need all the alcohol we can get our hands on. You know… not all of us have hot dates to keep us occupied for the night like you guys" she said, her speech beginning to slur.

"Alright there Alex, we're gonna slow down a little bit. Here have some water" Olivia offered, taking the shot glass in front of her friend and replacing it with a tall glass of ice water. Captain Cragen joined his squad after having a lengthy conversation with the police commissioner, just as dinner was being served. The meal wasn't as bad as it had been in past years; the members of the 1-6 easily made small talk while eating, well knowing that none of them really wanted to be there. Just as desert was being cleared away, Elliot cleared his throat and sighed in frustration, "Come on, let's get this show on the road! How long does it take to hand out a couple medals and plaques" Elliot said obviously very anxious about something. Though Olivia shot him a confused glance, she didn't say anything. She thought it was probably just the fact that Elliot hated these things the most out of everyone.

"Relax man. They'll get to it. What, you got a hotter date than Benson over here, waiting for you?" Fin joked. Seeing how tense Elliot got at that last part, Fin continued "I'm just playing with you. Besides you know the fun doesn't really start until _after_ the award presentation. That's when the real party starts! You know, the dancing and music and good alcohol" he finished.

Elliot didn't say anything and just nodded along, plastering on a smile. Little did anyone else know, he had other plans for him and Olivia tonight. Now if the police commissioner would just get on the stage already so that he that the entire unit was present, he could then sneak out the back door with Olivia.

What felt like a decade later, an important looking man, wearing a suit got on the stage and proceeded to introduce himself and welcome everyone. Elliot, Olivia and the rest of their table were only half listening as names were listed with honorable mentions. They almost didn't notice when all of their names were called out for winning an award as a precinct. "To the detectives of the 1-6 and their commanding captain, we are pleased to award you with this plaque in honour of your outstanding case closure rate, 'all for one' team-attitude and for the impeccable effectiveness and chemistry of your partnerships with one another". Touched by the commissioner's rare, kind words Captain Cragen went up on stage to accept the award and give a brief thank you. As he finished his last sentence, Elliot leaned over and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder to get her attention, "let's get out of here" he whispered in her ear. The coolness of Elliot's breath, brushing against her skin sent shivers down Olivia's spine. Without question, she nodding as she followed Elliot out the door, hoping to go unnoticed. Once they reached the hotel lobby, Olivia looped her arms through Elliot's as they got into their waiting car. "Not that I'm not immensely glad to be out of there, but where are we going? It's almost midnight don't you want to watch the ball drop on TV?" Olivia asked when she noticed that the car wasn't heading in the direction of either of their homes.

"It's a surprise" Elliot said as he leaned in the kiss her forehead softly "which means that you have to put this on" he stated as he produced from his pocket a black blindfold.

"Ohhh no El. C'mon you know I hate surprises! And you're out of your mind if you think I'm going to put that on" Olivia protested.

Unfazed by her reaction, Elliot adjust his head to look her straight in the eyes and cup her face with his hands, "Do you trust me Liv?" he asked point blankly.

Melting in the pools of his blue eyes, Olivia simply sighed and answered "with my life" as she allowed Elliot to tightly secure the strip of cloth around her eyes as the world immediately became nothing but black darkness.

What felt like a short car ride, a few small steps and a long elevator ride later, Olivia slowly stepped out of the elevator, holding on to Elliot, and was immediately met with a cool breeze. _'We must be outside'_ she thought. From a far distance she heard the echoed voice of someone she recognized as Ryan Secrest yelling into a microphone "Alright folks, there are only two minutes left in the year!". Feeling Elliot let go of her hand, she his footsteps. She had only heard him take a few steps before it grew silent again. After a few seconds she heard Elliot take a deep breath before finally saying "ok Liv you can take off your blindfold now". Olivia felt her heart racing, she didn't know what to expect. Feeling her hands shaking Olivia reached in behind her head to untie the knot of the blindfold and closed her eyes. Taking a couple deeps breaths herself she tried to prepare herself for whatever Elliot's surprise was. With a final exhale Olivia opened her eyes and immediately felt her eyes begin to well with tears as she tried to take in the scene. She was right, they were outside, they were alone on a rooftop outside of time's square that had been decorated with stringed lights and rose petals. She turned around and closed her eyes softly thinking that she must be dreaming, and when she opened her eyes again she was met with one Elliot Stabler who was standing in front of her as he slowly got down one knee. Olivia, who was know trying to hide her smile as the tears flowed from her face opened her mouth to try and say something, but Elliot beat her to it. Reaching into his pocket to retrieve a velvet box he opened to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring Olivia had ever seen in her life. Elliot, who was now beginning to feel all misty-eyed himself began, "Olivia Benson, my partner, my best friend, my love. From the moment I met you, I knew that you were going to change my life. Slowly our partnership grew into friendship and somewhere after that I began to fall hopelessly in love with you. You make me want to be a better man. When I'm with you everything just feels so right. You make me so happy. Face it Liv- we've been in a relationship for eleven years. You and I know more about each other than we do about ourselves. And I love every piece of you. Olivia, I love you for everything you are. I fell in love with the way you always put other before yourself, I love the way you love my kids, the way you throw your head back when you laugh, your radiant beauty, both inside and out. Olivia Benson, I love you for all of these reasons. And I love you for so many more. You are the one-the only one I want to spend my life with for the rest of my life. I want to spend now and forever with you. I realized that this year I can't deny my feelings anymore. The New Year is supposed to bring hope, joy and love, none of which I can have without you. So, Olivia, my partner, my best friend, my love… will you do me the honour of marrying me?" Elliot was now close to dangerously close to tears as he stared into the eyes of the person who meant everything to him. In the background he could hear the New Year's Eve countdown begin… 10…9…8…7

"Yes" Olivia managed to utter out, unable to control the fountain of tears that was now covering her porcelain face. She ran into Elliot's arms, shaking as he pulled her into him 3…2… She met his lips with a passionate kiss like no other as fireworks went off and the people of New York City cheered, ringing in the New Year.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are so very much appreciated. Cheers!


End file.
